Raptors Get: Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks, cash

Heat Get: Jermaine O’Neal, Jamario Moon, future first round pick

On the face, the trade looks like a wash. Both Marion and O’Neal have bloated contracts that expire in the next couple of years, and Moon and Banks are bench players. But, after taking a closer look, the trade appears to help both teams.

New Raptors

Here’s a look at the new players coming to the Raptors.

Shawn Marion

Shawn Marion was, for years, the most consistent force in fantasy basketball. No other player produced in every single stastical category as well as Marion. After his trade to the Heat from the Suns last season for Shaquille O’Neal, Marion’s production took a dip.

This year, Marion has produced some good numbers (12.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg), but nothing close to his usual output (17.9 ppg, 10.0 rpg for his career). Part of the problem was that the Heat, without Shaq, are undersized, and relied to heavily on Marion and Udonis Haslem to cover the big men of other teams.

Sadly, the most attractive quality Shawn Marion brings to the Raptors is his big fat expiring contract worth $17,180,000. Marion wants a long-term contract, but in this economy (even though the NBA has a salary cap), he probably won’t get a contract worth $17 million again. I expect a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $10 million per year. Are the Raptors ready to pay that? Probably not, but I bet they’re waiting on the free agent class of 2010, when their own superstar, Chris Bosh, will be up for free agency.

Marcus Banks

Let’s face it, Marcus Banks is not a good NBA player. The former Celtics “point guard” is a master or persuasion though, as he manages to convince team after team that he’s a good player. He came over to the heat last season with Shawn Marion in the Shaq trade largely because his salary plus Marion’s nearly equated Shaq’s (roughly $20 million).

Banks had fallen out of favor with the Heat and wasn’t even in their regular rotation. This year, Banks has averaged 2.6 points on 38.5% shooting and 1.4 assists in just 16 games. I’m sure he’ll find a way to help out the Raptors, who have the rare fortune of a lot of big men and few guards. He’ll most likely back up Jose Calderon until the Raptors realize he’s not very good.

New Heat(s)

OK, so what is the plural form of the Heat? Is Heat singluar or plural? I am SO glad I don’t work in Miami as a sports writer…either way, here’s the new players for Miami’s NBA team.

Jermaine O’Neal

Yet another O’Neal will now man Miami’s center position. The AP has been calling O’Neal a “true center.” I’m not sure I’m willing to go that far, but I will say he’s way more true than Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem, and the rest of the little big men on the Heat. Either way, O’Neal’s arrival will help Miami on the court right away.

First, it allows Udonis Haslem to retain his natural position of power forward. Rookie Michael Beasley can now move into the small forward slot and O’Neal will slot in at center. The Heat just got a lot bigger even though Marion (6’7″) himself is no shrimp.

Contract-wise, O’Neal is due to make $23 million next season, but the Heat will be free and clear by the summer of 2010. This will allow them to re-sign Dwayne Wade and perhaps pair him with another player (Chris Bosh?). Many teams, including the Celtics, will be free and clear by that summer, which makes sense because there’s going to be so many good free agents available.

Jamario Moon

Jamario Moon is definitely the most underrated player in this deal. The Heat were a largely undersized team, but by replacing Marcus Banks with Moon, it gives them options at the forward position.

A good fantasy player, Moon fills the stat sheet nicely. This year, Moon has averages of 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks. This line translates to a really good player off the bench in actual basketball who can play 15-20 minutes and make things happen quickly.

Impact on the Celtics

With this trade, the Heat become a better team today and may give the Celtics a hard time in a playoff series. By hard time, I mean that the Heat may win one or two games in the series and give the Celtics trouble in the other wins. As it stands now, however, the Celtics are still a better team and will show that if the two teams meet in the playoffs.

The Raptors become a different team. Instead of two of the same players in Bosh and O’Neal, Bosh gets a nice complementary forward who can score, but most important can play quality defense. With the acquisition of Marion, Bosh and even Andrea Bargnani can be better players. This won’t affect the Celtics this year, but if Toronto is able to sign back Bosh and bring in another player during the 2010 offseason, then they could compete for a division title.

The Heat, Celtics, and Raptors will all be players on the 2010 free agent market, so the trade only confirms that fact. But, for now, the trade helps neither team join the ranks of the elite in the East.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | No comment
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The Celtics took few punches in their first 29 games (when they started 27-2). Then, they faced a heavyweight in the Lakers, and while they weren’t blown off the court, they suffered their first real knockout of the season.

Most boxers get a little time in between fights, but the Celtics were back at it the next night, and lost to an underachieving Golden State team. They temporarily lost their sense of urgency after destroying the Kings, as they now have lost to some stumbling teams (the aforementioned Warriors, the Knicks, and the Bobcats) and teams without their big stars (the Blazers and Rockets).

Now, they face up against another big heavyweight this season in the Cleveland Cavaliers. If they have trouble with the Knicks and Bobcats, how are they going to handle the hot Cavs?

Friday night against the Cavs is crucial for many reasons. With a win, the Celtics re-establish themselves as an elite team in the Eastern Conference by beating their potential rival for a No. 1 seed. They take down the mighty King James (LeBron) and re-ascend the throne among the NBA’s best.

With a loss, however, the Celtics would be sent into a tailspin. Not only can they not defeat bad teams anymore, but they’re being pushed around by good teams as well. The Celtics would begin to be legitimately questioned as an elite team.

Personally, I don’t see the Celtics beating the Cavs on Friday, and part of me wants to see a Celtics loss because it will only motivate them for the future. With this recent slide, which would turn into seven losses in nine games if the Celts were defeated Friday, the Celtics would have real room for improvement, which is a great thing at this stage of an NBA season.

When they were sitting at an NBA-record 27-2, I remember Paul Pierce saying how they needed to improve their play. Now, after a 2-6 stretch, I think it’s urgent. They really need to improve their play, or they may not make it back to the NBA Finals to defend their crown.

Despite all the negativity surrounding the team lately, I will have my eyes closely fixated on Friday night’s game. Can the Celtics regain their footing? Or…will they suffer yet another defeat? Stay tuned…and I’m sure our reader, Ken, will also probably tune in, despite echoing all Celtics fans’ frustrations so clearly:

I don’t know, I just don’t know if I can even watch the Cleveland game.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | No comment
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Rondo had a career night for the Celtics with his first ever triple-double, helping Boston avenge an early season loss to the Pacers in a 114-96 win. Rondo finished with 16 points, 17 asssits, and 13 rebounds and three steals against four turnovers in an all-around terrific effort. Rondo recorded the first triple-double for Boston since Paul Pierce did it in February 2005.

The Celts have now won 10 straight games to improve to 18-2, and were helped by monster games from Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Allen poured in 31 points on 11-18 shooting (6-9 from 3PT). Garnett added 26 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks in the total team effort.

Kendrick Perkins and Pierce were no slouches either, as both scored 16 points. Perk added 10 rebounds, giving the Celtics three players with at least 10 boards.

The bench didn’t log many minutes, with Eddie House on the floor for 16 minutes and Brian Scalabrine out there for 15 min. Bench players in all scored a total of nine points, but…three of those were courtesy of the lovable Brian Scalabrine!

For Three!

To complete the Four-Point Play, I’ll go for three (points)…

1. Beating the Pacers is huge for the Celtics for a variety of reasons. First, the Pacers handed the Celtics their first lost of the season in early November (one just two total losses this season). Then on Tuesday, the Pacers beat the Lakers and handed them their second loss. Pierce agreed with my take on the win:

“We had a great incentive,” Paul Pierce said. “They beat us last time and they beat the Lakers last night.”

2. Marc Stein properly placed the Celtics on top of the ESPN NBA Power Rankings yet again. It was deserving, he argued, because the Celtics have played three more back-to-back series than the Lakers, and have more impressive victories. The Lakers have been on fire too, though, but mostly thanks to a very soft schedule. It’s certainly looking like the Celtics will see the Lakers in the NBA Finals yet again.

3. Forbes named the New York Knicks the most valuable NBA team yet again. They are worth a ridiculous $613 million. It’s amazing considering the Knicks are horribly mismanaged. In recent years, New York has added overpaid players with bad contracts such as Eddy Curry, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Jalen Rose, Malik Rose, and even Zach Randolph among others. Oh…and the Anucha Browne-Sanders saga with Isiah Thomas didn’t help either.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Top Story.

Boston then won the NBA title, while the Knicks finished 23-59. That put Q in his place. Right?

Wrong.

Let’s let Richardson tell you himself:

“I think a few of those guys know they can’t just say anything to us,” said Richardson. “I’m just real curious to see what those guys will be saying if we weren’t in a basketball league, and didn’t have referees. I mean it wouldn’t be the same story. I mean they are the world champions and rah-rah-rah, but the tough part I don’t factor.”

“I come from a neighborhood where you can say what you want to say, but ’til you do something, it don’t mean nothing. Some of those guys are happy to get a ring, but you ain’t been in the league long enough to talk to people like that. I don’t have a lot of respect for that. Like I said, I’d be curious to hear what they have to say in a different setting, I’d be very curious to see that.”

I don’t get it. Is he challenging some Celtics players to a street fight? I may have not been on the court to hear what was said, but I can’t imagine what could’ve forced Q to talk about how tough he is. Kevin Garnett is the most vocal player on the Celtics and also the one most likely to talk trash, but he wasn’t in the arena due to his silly suspension. Did Rajon Rondo or Kendrick Perkins (two young players) really spark the harsh words from Richardson?

Richardson is averaging 10 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.0 threes per game for the 6-5 Knicks. New York next comes to Boston December 21. You better believe he’ll have some explaining to do, but the most likely scenario is that he’ll talk before the game, and he’ll talk after the game. He just won’t talk during the game…

The Celtics Four-Point Play is typically published Wednesdays on Sports of Boston. The column is often divided into four sections to cover the Celtics world, but also can be a broad view about one or two topics. If you have any personal questions for the author, email kcATsportsofbostonDOTcom, or simply use the contact form at the top right corner of the page.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | One comment
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If Antonio McDyess joins the Celtics this season, he would have a similar impact that P.J. Brown did last season. Brown was not very effective during the regular season as he worked himself into playing shape, but when it came to playoff time, Brown was extremely effective. He hit huge shots to help the C’s win the Cavs series, and used his muscle to out-maneuver his opponents in the later rounds.

Will McDyess end up with the Celtics?

Well, on Monday, the Nuggets released McDyess, shortly after trading for him and Chauncey Billups in the deal that sent Allen Iverson to the Pistons. So, that should help.

Another kicker is that because of the “Gary Payton Rule,” McDyess can’t re-sign with the Pistons for 30 days after his release. In the 2004-05 season, the Celtics traded Gary Payton and Tom Gugliatta to the Hawks for Antoine Walker. The Hawks then released Payton in a salary dump, opening the door for GP to rejoin the C’s just a few days later. The event was so extraordinary, the NBA installed the rule.

So, will McDyess sit around for 30 days? I doubt it. I can’t imagine he’d want to return to the Pistons, because it looks like they may be in for a rough year with Iverson and Rasheed Wallace. They both have abrasive personalities, and Iverson so far just doesn’t fit in the Pistons system. Until he gets comfortable with the system, and his teammates get comfortable with him running the point, they will be be mediocre at best.

How would he fit with the C’s?

As the Lakers showed in the NBA Finals, an NBA team can always use more size and muscle. The Lakers were without Andrew Bynum, who is apparently the team’s only aggressive big man. Pau Gasol, Vladamir Radmanovic, and Lamar Odom all where significantly out-muscled by Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, P.J. Brown, Leon Powe, and co.

The Celtics are without P.J. Brown due to retirement, so they could use a replacement. Remember, all NBA teams could use an extra big man. McDyess would be a perfect fit with Leon Powe behind Kevin Garnett.

My Final Plea

Who wouldn’t want to join the team? They’re the defending NBA Champions, and they’re currently 7-1. There’s a clear spot for McDyess on the bench, and he would certainly get playing time.

I thoroughly enjoyed last season’s NBA FInals victory, and I would love another one. Danny Ainge, would you please sign Antonio McDyess?!!?

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | No comment
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Iverson is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $20.8 million, giving the Pistons much more cap flexibility than with Billups. With Rasheed Wallace also coming off the books at the end of the year, it appears the Pistons could be ready for a complete overhaul (they’ll have $21-22 million to spend). They signed guard Richard Hamilton long term on Monday as well, so it appears he will be the team’s initial building block (along with young PG Rodney Stuckey and SF Tayshaun Prince) for something much bigger.

They could bite in the 2009 offseason, with players like Carlos Boozer (if he opts out) expected to be available. Or, the Pistons could wait one year and dip into the talented free agent class of 2010, which is expected to include LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.

So, it appears Joe Dumars is throwing the Pistons’ name in the hat of the teams most likely to land LeBron James. Would Rip Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey be enough for talent around perhaps the best player in the NBA? Where else could he find one…or maybe even two all-stars?

If you’re beginning to catch my drift…the Celtics, that’s who! Danny Ainge has already lined himself up to be ready for the free agent splash in the 2010 offseason. The Celtics could let Ray Allen go, which would save them $18,776,860 in cap space. They’ll probably also let Brian Scalabrine go, so that frees up another $3,413,793. So buy my count, with just two players lost, the Celtics will have $22,190,653 to spend.

Here are the only Celtics expected to be under contract for the 2010-11 season (according to HoopsHype.com):

*qualifying offer

One would assume that it would cost another 10-15 million to round out the bench, and Ainge will probably sign Rajon Rondo long term in the next two seasons. In all, he could have more than $20 million to play with in the deepest NBA free agent market I could ever remember.

Ainge set this up with last year’s trades for Allen and Garnett, and no one was talking about it because we had a win-now approach. Now, it appears that the Celtics are in very good position to land one of the prized free agents to pair with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, which could translate into numerous championships despite their advancing ages.

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© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments
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It’s going to take a miraculous set of circumstances for the Celtics to reach the historic 73-win plateau. But, before we proceed with how they can do it, we must look back at the team that caused this question to be posed in the first place: the Chicago Bulls.

The Record-Setting Bulls

Michael Jordan’s Bulls, of course, set an NBA record in the 1995-96 season with a 72-10 record. Imagine that…an .878 winning percentage. They only lost to one team more than once all season (the Indiana Pacers beat them twice).

Jordan averaged over 30 ppg that season, and his counterpart Scottie Pippen averaged nearly 20 ppg. Dennis Rodman hauled in almost 15 rebounds per game during the regular season, and for the most part stayed out of trouble.

Tony Kukoc was the team’s sixth man, and he did have a nice ability to score, shoot threes, and play enough defense to get by. The team itself was just too good offensively to have to worry as much as other teams about defense.

Jordan though was still a fierce defender, averaging 2.2 steals per game and a block every other game (.5 per). So does winning 72 games take an amazing effort from one of the greatest players in NBA history? Maybe.

The Big Three

While the Bulls had Superman (Jordan), Batman (Pippen), and Rodman (Dennis Rodman), the Celtics have the new Big Three, fresh off their first NBA title. If there’s any year to win 73 games, this has to be the year for the Celtics.

Last year, they were in their first seasons together, so there had to be time allowed for the players to get used to each other. Eventually, the Big Three become one and soared through the rest of the regular season. This season will be their second full season together, so they should be a cohesive unit from the get-go.

Their ages are just right. They have enough experience to know how to win, and they’re young enough to still get it done on a consistent basis. Their window of opportunity is closing fast, however, as this may be their last year as a dominant team. The timing is right for something special.

What Needs to Happen?

So many things. Like I said before, the pieces need to fall in place perfectly.

1. The East has to be especially weak

• The Eastern Conference has been weak in recent years, but it’s unlikely to stay that way. The 76ers got a lot better with the addition of Elton Brand. The Cavs are better with Mo Williams. The Knicks even look improved…they may win 30 games!

2. Everyone has to stay healthy

• Kevin Garnett cannot miss 10 games. Such an event will likely cause it least three losses, which is already a third of the way there to nine losses.
• If Paul Pierce or Ray Allen miss significant action, the dream is over. Michael Jordan played all 82 games that year, and Scottie Pippen played in 77 of the 82. They were the team’s bread and butter, and they were there for nearly all of the victories.

3. The Celtics need to remember what happened to the Patriots

• It’s sad to bring up, but its applicable. The 2007 Patriots were on their way to becoming the only 19-0 ever. 16 wins in the regular season, and three more in the playoffs. They lost the Super Bowl in large part because they were just beat up as team, trying so hard week after week to win.
• The Patriots faced the best in every single team they faced toward the end. The mounting pressure must have been too much to handle, and couple that with a devastating loss in the Super Bowl, and I’m not sure I’ll ever recover. OK back to the task at hand…

So…Will the Celtics Reach 73 Wins?

Highly unlikely. I’ll go out on a limb and say no way, not this year, not next year. It takes a dominant team in a weak conference to win that many games. Last year was the perfect recipe for the Celtics, but they were playing in their first season together and could only muster 66 wins.

I will say if the Celtics had a year under their belts last season instead of this season, they may have made a run at 73 wins…but I still highly doubt it.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Top Story.

As you all may know, James Posey was very good as the Celtics’ sixth man last season, often filling in to make huge defensive stops or chipping in a crucial three-pointer. Effective on both sides of the ball, Posey was a force to be reckoned with and often was playing in the late stages of close games for that reason.

How can the Celtics fill his void? Well, the one big thing that Posey had over the rest of the Celtics was the Championship experience he earned with the 2005-06 NBA Champion Miami Heat. Now this season, nearly everyone on the roster has playoff experience, including those set to fit into Posey’s big shoes.

Posey did such a great job last year, it’s hard to project anyone that will step in right away to that sixth man role. If for some reason Doc decides to start Leon Powe at SF and move Paul Pierce to SG to give the team more size, then Ray Allen would be your sixth man without argument.

That scenario is unlikey as Ray is poised for an even better year than last year. Who else will step up? Let’s take a look at a possible sixth-man-by-committee:

Leon Powe

He seems like the obvious choice after his breakout in the postseason, but Powe’s game still has holes and is a different type of role player from Posey. Powe plays around and above the rim, which is good. He’s effective when down below, but take him 10 feet from the hoop and it’s a different story.

In order to be a solid sixth man, you need to combine solid defense (he’s got it) with the ability to score in bunches (he’s working on that). Powe will receive extended minutes as a result of Posey’s departure, but don’t expect a Posey-type player when he steps on the floor. Expect to see the Leon Powe you saw in the playoffs, because I don’t see his game regressing at all.

Eddie House

House is another player that gained invaluable playoff experience (eventually) last season. Doc quickly realized in the playoffs that at times you need a spark plug like House to come in and hit a quick three or make a quick steal.

There’s no denying that Eddie House can score in bunches, but his game has a ton of holes. His defense is inadequate at best, and he’s not confident when bringing the ball up the floor, which is something you could trust Posey to do a few times. If you combine Powe and House you get a player similar to Posey, which makes Doc’s job a lot harder. He has to pick and choose the right situations for both players.

Tony Allen

Besides James Posey, you could argue that there was no better perimeter defender off the bench than Tony Allen. Last year was a weird year for Tony, as he was coming off major surgery because of a stupid attempt at a wild dunk after the whistle in the disastrous 2006-07 season.

As the year wore on, Tony seemed to get more comfortable on his surgically repaired knee, but he was playing as if he were cautiously optimistic. This year, Tony could finally bust out in a big way off the bench. His knee is now 100% healed, he has a contract he’s comfortable with, and he now has a ton of playoff experience under his belt.

If he figures out his game more, he can become a dangerous offensive weapon. His shooting must improve, but he definitely can drive to the rim and draw a foul or finish a dunk with authority. We all know his defense is there, so I’d say he’s the closest of the Celtics role players to filling the James Posey role.

Darkhorse Candidates: J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker

Typically, sixth men are shooting guards or small forwards that can be versatile by slotting back and forth between positions based on matchups. For our darkhouse candidates, we have J.R. Giddens (a point guard/shooting guard) and Bill Walker (small forward). Combining these players, like Leon Powe and Eddie House, probably would be close to a young James Posey, but such a thing is impossible so its futile to discuss it.

In J.R. Giddens, the Celtics have an decent three-point shooter who has a knack for getting a good share of rebounds on both ends of the court. Defensively, Giddens plays hard and has good instincts. His main problem is driving to the hoop, which can be crucial for a sixth man in a close game. Sixth man may never be Giddens’ role anyway, as Danny Ainge sees him as a potential backup point guard.

Bill Walker is more intriguing. He’s a freakishly-skilled athlete, and has the raw talent to dunk with the best of him. If anything, he’s a great guy to play at home games to keep the crowd noise up. Walker still needs to develop more of an outside shooting game to be considered a sixth man, and his defensive skills (mainly effort) needs to drastically improve as well. Walker is probably a future sixth man for the Celtics many years from now.

Final Thoughts

Tony Allen seems to be the most logical choice if I had to choose one, but the most likely scenario (at first) will be a committee approach based on potential matchups on the court. If Tony has confidence in his knee and a renewed commitment to his game, then he can probably grab hold of the role by midseason.

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© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | One comment
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1. The Celtics beat the Cavs 90-86 Tuesday night in the return of center Kendrick Perkins. It was their second win against Cleveland during the preseason.

• Perk didn’t do much in the win, as he played 21 minutes, didn’t attempt a shot, and went 0-2 from the line in a scoreless effort. He did haul in five rebounds and commit four fouls in typical Perk style. He seemed rusty, which has to be expected, especially coming off injury.
• Leon Powe was the star of the game for the Celtics, scoring all 17 points in the second half. He led the Celtics comeback after the Big Three left the game for good midway through the third quarter.
• As for new Cavs acquisition Mo Williams, he scored just two points in nine minutes of action. More on him later…

2. Speaking of Mo Williams, he had some strong words about where his new team stands among the Eastern Conference’s best.

“That’s all we talk about. You got to knock the king off the throne. And I’m playing with the king, so you can take that how you want.”

• The “king” he allegedly was referring to was the Celtics…but then he made a passing reference to King James to suggest that the Cavs actually are the kings in the East.
• I will admit that the Cavs gave the Celtics the toughest series in last year’s playoffs, and that the addition of Mo Williams can only make them better, but it’s tough to call them the favorite in the East just yet. I think it’s safe to say that they will be one of the top four teams (with the Celtics) in the East this season.

3. Bob Cousy was fired by Comcast Sports Net after 34 years, and will no longer be on the bench alongside Tommy Heinsohn and Mike Gorman.

• I used to enjoy hearing the rare Cousy appearance on the broadcasts, but he’s old and I guess he’d have to leave the broadcast eventually anyway.

“I would have liked to have continued,” Cousy said. “I’m only involved in 10 games a season, so it’s not that big a deal. But I would have liked to have been allowed to keep my hand in, especially after 22 years of [Celtics] mediocrity – last year was kind of fun, frankly, and I was looking forward to doing it again. Comcast can choose to do the hiring and firing, but if it’s a financial situation, I’m not being overpaid. What they pay me is what they spend monthly for office supplies.”

• Cousy went on to say that he was displeased by how he was fired: he heard from someone he barely knew with the organization. That’s really a shame for a Celtics legend to be treated so poorly. He will definitely be missed from the broadcasts.

4. Former Celtic Sebastian Telfair is apparently in line for a suspension from the NBA for an incident back in April 2007.

• Apparently, according to the report, Telfair is being suspended a minimum of two games after “being sentenced last month to three years’ probation for misdemeanor possession of a loaded handgun.” That incident took place back in April of last year.
• T-Wolves coach Randy Wittman was surprised to hear that Telfair was suspended, and added that Telfair “has been a positive addition on and off the court,” according to the report.
• All I have to say is that I’m a Telfair fan ever since we traded him in part for KEVIN GARNETT!

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | No comment
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1. The 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 98-92 in the opening game of the preseason. Ummmm who cares?

• It’s just nice to see this team out on the floor again. I wish I could’ve gone to the game (it was in UMass) but it’s still nice to even see the highlights on TV. Speaking of highlights…Bill Walker’s dunk over Theo Ratliff was awesome. I guess his knees are OK.
• Doc Rivers did not attend the game, and instead flew to Orlando to attend to a personal matter. He successfully appealed the high school basketball ineligibility of Adam Jones, whom Doc and his wife are legal guardians of. Go Doc!
• In case you were counting, Leon Powe led all Celtics scorers with 12 points in 23 minutes.

2. The Celtics are having no trouble in this rough U.S. economy, even as David Stern warned that ticket sales could drop while fans remained home rather than going to the games.

• Of course, it’s easy to have a good business model (as reported by the Globe’s Marc J. Spears) when your team wins the NBA Championship the previous season. Celtics president Rich Gotham said sales are especially good despite the economic woes that grip the nation.

“I don’t think you can ignore it, but I’m very happy we’re coming off the championship season because it will help us hold off economy hits. We don’t foresee anything right now. We have sold all our season tickets. Got sponsorship done. We don’t have single-game tickets available and they were gone right away when out.”

• Tell me about it. I’m lucky I had the chance to attend opening night with SoB’s Jeff, as there are literally zero general tickets available for the 41 home games this season. I’ll have to hope I know someone who just has extra tickets. Any of you readers want to bring me?

3. Tony Allen was apparently wrapped in an offseason saga, as he was in limbo about his contract status for the 2008-09 season.

• Apparently, the contract situation affected Tony personally, according to the Globe’s Marc J. Spears:

“It was so stressful at the time,” Allen said. “I just stayed in my shell. I didn’t want to go out. I didn’t go to restaurants. I barely even wanted to go in the grocery shore. [Fans would say], ‘Are you coming back? Are you leaving?’ I just stayed in my shell.”

• Tony was offered a contract by the now-Oklahoma City Thunder, but remained in limbo because he wanted to sign with the Celtics, who were busy trying to re-sign James Posey. Meanwhile, the Thunder were looking at Utah’s C.J. Miles instead, and Tony was stuck. As you know, Posey didn’t sign with the Celtics and Tony was signed back within days.

4. Last season, Ray Allen was often seen as the third wheel due to the offensive attention garnered by Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. This season, he should see more looks, according to the Globe’s Frank Del’Appa.

• As you know, Allen was the team’s third-leading scorer, and that trend may continue this season, but he faltered in the playoffs mostly because his team didn’t know where to find him open. Doc Rivers and Ray worked on different offensive sets that gave Ray more clean looks.

“I thought he had the best camp,” coach Doc Rivers said. “He played great and we put more in to accent him. It was tougher last year for him because we had to get Kevin [Garnett] involved in the offense and Paul [Pierce] was already involved. We only had a certain amount of time and he was almost the third thought…Now he knows where to get his shots in the offense and guys know how to find him.”

• This is great news. If Ray Allen gets more of the scoring load, that can provide some relief to Pierce and Garnett. While the Celtics may not be better in 2008-09 (it’s hard to top 66 wins), they will be more organized, which is certainly helped by having a full season and Championship under their collective belt.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | No comment
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